When the tourism minister starts talking about how we should change the country’s strategy from attracting “land” tourists to “air” tourists you know that the industry, which props up around one-third of our economy, is anything but buoyant. Obviously, those who travel over land (as many coming from Jordan, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia do) will be put off by the prospect of driving by a Syrian rebellion on their way to a relaxing vacation on a Lebanese beach or mountain resort. And because we don’t know how long the Syrian uprising will last, this year may just be the best time to stop resting on one’s laurels and chart a new course for investment in the industry, just like all those tourists who will be leaving their cars at home this year. The alternative is to indirectly put over half a million jobs at risk as the sector also plays
